When Ryan St. John was a high school student, his goal was to play college baseball. Enrolling at Centenary University, he focused on the sport he loved, while paying just enough attention to his classes to earn decent grades. Then, the biology major met James Monks, D.C., an assistant professor of biology at Centenary.

In March 2020, Centenary University’s Katie Zack was packed and ready to embark on a trip to Guyana as a member of the Peace Corp. The pandemic abruptly ended her dream.